CAN WEIGHT TRAINING STUNT GROWTH

CAN WEIGHT TRAINING STUNT GROWTH?

11/12/2020

Weight training seems to be one of the most popular topics on the channel. Whenever I produce a video on the subject I get lots of comments. Most - which is good - agree more or less with what I'm saying. You'll see what I mean if you look at one of the latest weight training videos - The Pros and Cons of Weight Training and its associated comments - SEE VIDEO BELOW.

However, a different type of question on weight training was asked on another video's comments section:
Q: Can weight training stunt your growth?
It's an unusual question so I thought I would provide my answer here, so more may be able to see.
A: Well, not if you train appropriately and at a mature enough age. Research indicates that weight training does not slow growth ... we also need to consider that plyometrics, sprinting and jumping are more intense exercise forms of exercise (more so than weights in terms of overload on the body), so if a young athlete can sprint they will be able to handle weight training (obviously sensibly set). Any exercise at any age will also have a hormonal effect. This can be positive and actually stimulate growth (in muscles, ligaments, tendons and bones, for example).
I generally introduce light weights at around 14-15 years of age for a jumper. They would be used for developing injury prevention rather that directly enhancing performance. And as I say in my videos I would be making sure that speed, plyometric ability and technical ability were the prime areas of focus. Weights can specifically improve performance, however, it takes time and a specific type of weight training to achieve this. If you were to emphasise the wrong type of weight training at too early an age this could be detrimental to your jumping. There are far better ways to improve performance.
Adding a little more.
Having said that some athletes may need to develop their specific weights strength earlier than others. It will be up to the coach to identify what they think a particular athlete needs to do in order to improve their performance. I'll say more about this in a future video on the channel and will give some specific examples using some of my athletes.